Dei Dream
by Emilieve
Summary: Deidara returns from a mission to find a purple-haired pyro making a commotion in the forest near the Akatsuki base. Leader decides to take her on as a new member and Deidara's not too happy to find out that he's in charge of showing her the ropes. DeidaraxOC
1. UPDATE

So, I recently found my old notebook for this story and the sequels, and I got inspired to:

-Do a full rewrite

-Post the rest of the sequel

-Finally finish writing the Treequel (that's not a typo, that's the title)

-Post the Treequel

Sometime in the near future, I'll be reuploading the first story (this one). I'm planning on just replacing the files for each chapter with the new versions, so this version will only exist on my computer. The new version will be more serious, less OOC, and generally better-written than this version.


	2. The News

**This is my first fanfiction, so please bear with me... I know the first chapter is really short and a bit on the boring side, but they get better! Deidara doesn't show up until chapter 3, but he is in here! XD  
**

I squinted up at the blazing sun as I lazily strolled through Konoha. It was perfect walking weather; a cool breeze cancelled out the sun's relentless heat. I distractedly waved hello to people I knew as I traveled the streets.

My mind wandered away from me onto thoughts of Micchi-kun. Micchi-kun, Michiru, my childhood friend since before I can remember.

Yet for a while, I had thought of him as more than a friend. I blushed at this thought. / He was strong, funny, smart, kind, and seriously cute.

The reason I was wandering aimlessly instead of hanging out with him is because he was away on a mission outside of Konoha. As a fellow jonin, I recommended him as a member on a three-man team because of his amazing agility. His team was going investigate the area around a part of the forest where strangely round patches of trees had been burned away.

If the arsonist had prepared an ambush in the area, then Micchi's speed would be quite useful for escaping from traps. His speed could determine the mission's success.

He had already been gone three days, and I missed him greatly. The day he left, I told him that I had something to tell him when he returned, and asked if he would listen. He smiled at me sweetly and said, "Of course, Emika-chan!" I treasured those words deeply, since I had not heard his voice in days.

The "something" I wished to tell him was, at great emotional risk, my true feelings for him. I desperately hoped against hope that he would accept me.

As I worriedly pondered this, I approached my apartment building, finally tired of walking. As I walked closer, I could see Daichi, a close friend of both Micchi and I, pacing nervously back and forth in front of my building. As I neared him, he whipped around to face me, his face blotchy and his eyes frantic. He grabbed my hands roughly, and uttered horrible words that I will never forget:

"Emika-chan, ...it's very hard to say this..., but, MICHIRU IS DEAD!!"


	3. MissingNin

**Recap:** "Michiru IS DEAD!"

My mind froze. Dead, what did that word mean again? Whatever it meant, nothing bad could have happened to my Micchi, could it?

Daichi's voice jolted me back to reality.

"Only the team leader survived the mission. He is in critical condition, and can't tell, let alone write, what really happened. Those people that saw him enter the village were positive that both his teammates were dead. If he doesn't make it, we may never know what happened to...M-Michiru."

"...no..."

"Emika-chan, he's gone and you have to accept that!"

"NO!"

I sprinted directly at the door of my building. I took the stairs three at a time to my apartment, hurredly unlocking the door and slamming it locked behind me.

I yanked my backpack from a shelf in my closet, sending clothes tumbling to the floor. I grabbed food out of the kitchen and stuffed it one of my bag's pockets. I collected up bunches of clothes and jammed them in as well. I then armed myself with kunai and shuriken and tied my katana at my waist.

By this time, Daichi had reached my door and was banging forcefully on it.

"OPEN UP, EMIKA-CHAN, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

I did not answer as I closed my bag. I yanked open the window and leapt out, backpack in tow. I landed safely on the ground five stories below.

Behind me I heard my door splinter and finally break from Daichi's stubborn attack on it. I sprinted through the village, trying to get as far away as possible. As I raced past people and buildings, I felt numb, scattered thoughts flitting through my head.

_"No...no...he can't be dead…"_

I finally reached the edge of the village and dashed into the forest. As I continued running, feeling slowly came back.

_"He's really gone...? I loved him, but now he's gone! He never even knew how I felt about him!"_

Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I slowed, and found myself beside a river, not knowing where I was, having never been in this area before.

Anger at Micchi's killer, the world, even Micchi for dying before I could tell him I loved him, welled up inside me. Then it burst out.

I curled my hands into fists, then swiftly unclenched them. A glowing sphere of purple flame appeared in each palm. I pulled my right arm back, then released it in a powerful punch at the nearest tree.

My hands still aflame, I barraged the tree with my blazing punches, not seeing, hearing, or feeling anything but the burning tree, my own angry cries, and my tremendous pain.

Eventually, my body grew weary from this, and my blows slowed bit by bit until I was close to being overwhelmed with exhaustion.

What remained of the tree still smoldered with purple embers, and it was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.


	4. Discovery

Meanwhile:

**Deidara's P.o.V.:** (ooooh, flashback! This starts a little while after Emika begins her bombardment on the tree)

I was tree-hopping my way back to the Akatsuki base when I heard strange sounds coming from the river, _hmmm_. Birds were flying away from that area, fleeing from the source of the noise, _hmmm_.

As I went to investigate, the closer I came, the more pronounced the smell of smoke became, _hmmm_. I stealthily peered between two trees into a small clearing where a girl of 16 or 17 was attacking a tree with what looked like fireballs in her hands, _hmmm_.

She was obviously strong, and each blow she gave the tree caused the tree to splinter and burn, _hmmm_. She could prove to be a powerful new member if we could convince her to join, _hmmm_.

It seemed foolish to approach her, because of both her flaming hands, and the intense anger I could feel emanating from her, _hmmm_.

I snuck away, continuing along my way to the base, _hmmm_. I reported to Leader-sama, telling him the details of my latest mission, then finally mentioning the girl, _hmmm_.

"When I was returning, I stopped by to investigate a suspicious area a few miles down the river, where I saw a girl, _hmmm_. My point is, she was striking a tree with her fists, which were ablaze with purple flames, _hmmm_! This is probably only a small example of what she is capable of, _hmmm_. She could be a great new member, _hmmm_."

"Very well, Deidara, you may attempt to recruit her."

"About that, Leader-sama, _hmmm_..."

"What is it?"

"She seemed to be in a state in which it could be extremely disadvantageous if we approached her, as she was enraged for unapparent reasons, _hmmm_. I suggest that I wait until she calms herself down, and then attempt to speak to her and get her to join, _hmmm_."

"Go on..."

"But, if she does not calm, we can simply capture her once she is weak from low chakra, _hmmm_."

"Excellent plan... Now go and do it!!"

I left his office, then the base, _hmmm_. I returned to where I saw the girl, _hmmm_. She still relentlessly pounded the tree for hours, but as I continued watching, her blows became less and less frequent, _hmmm_. She may have been tiring, but she was still too furious for me to approach, _hmmm_. She continued her attack, gradually slowing, breathing heavily, _hmmm_. She finally threw one last punch, stepped back, wavering, and collapsed to the ground, unconcious, _hmmm_.

I walked over to where she lay, grabbed her belongings, and picked her up off the ground, _hmmm_. I leapt through the trees carrying her bridal style, _hmmm_. As I bounded through the trees back to the base, I marveled at her power, while also noticing that she had been crying, _hmmm_.

I reached the base, entered, and carried her to my room, _hmmm_. I placed her on my bed, then removed her weapons from her bag and her sword from her waist, _hmmm_. I left my room and locked the door behind me, should she wake up and try to escape, _hmmm_.

I returned to Leader-sama, notifying him of my success and leaving her weapons with him, _hmmm_.

I walked to the living room, lying down on the couch, as it was apparent that I would be sleeping there tonight, _hmmm_.

As it was already very late, I closed my eyes, thinking of the girl, _hmmm_. What tremendous power, _hmmm_! Her stamina was excellent as well, because she kept up that attack for hours, _hmmm_! I looked forward to speaking with her tomorrow as I drifted off..._hmmm_...


	5. Meeting Akatsuki

I awoke to find myself lying on a bed in a room I did not recognize, only vaguely registering this. I sat up, instantly regretting it as I fell dizzily back onto the pillow.

The pain in my head jarred my memories of yesterday, which all came flooding back, along with my tears.

I cried silently, grieving over Micchi. Once I was completely empty of tears, I became numb, but this time accepting. Micchi was gone, and no matter how much I loved him, I could not bring him back. I reflected this, and felt like years had passed since I had seen him.

Eventually, I became more aware of my surroundings. I slowly scanned the room after sitting up gingerly. The room was simple, unadorned; it only contained a bed and small dresser. My backpack was beside the bed, obviously having been searched through. I saw this and noticed my katana was gone.

I carefully got up and walked to the door. I tried to turn the knob; it was locked. My suspicions were confirmed; I was a prisoner in the nearly empty room. I pondered my situation, digging some bread out of my bag. As I munched on it, my energy level rose. Too much.

I was restless, I needed to vent some of these feelings (again). My feelings welled up, threatening to burst out. Flames once again appeared in my palms as I clenched and quickly unclenched my fists. This time, I kept control, and did not destroy anything. I simply shot my fists through the air, working on the speed and control of my attacks.

I swung left and right, striking and dodging invisible enemies. I forgot my sorrow more and more with each punch, concentrating only on my practice.

I heard the lock click. I spun around to face the door, fists at the ready. A few moments later, the door opened to a young-looking blond man with a half-ponytail and seriously long bangs, exposing only one blue eye. He wore the black cloak with red clouds unique to the Akatsuki. He eyed my flaming hands apprehensively, taking a step back. I charged at him, fists raised.

Looking shocked, he slammed the door before I reached it. I plowed straight through it, angry at myself for not doing it earlier.

Even more shocked and now covered in splintered wood, the blond guy stood motionless in front of me. I needed answers, so I politely asked for them.

"Tell me where I am, why I'm here, and who you are, quickly!" I said while bouncing a fireball up and down in my palm threateningly.

"You don't need to threaten me to get those answers, _hmmm_!" he said, somewhat nervously.

"Yes, I do, at least until I trust you."

"Fine, you're in the Akatsuki base, you're here because we want to recruit you to Akatsuki, and my name's Deidara, _hmmm_." Deidara (apparently) said.

"...Recruit...me?! Why? I've heard of the Akatsuki, and I'm no S-ranked criminal!"

"That doesn't matter, _hmmm_. You are obviously powerful enough to be considered by us, and if you join, it won't be long before you ARE an S-ranked criminal, _hmmm_."

"You have a point..."

As I debated this offer, my thoughts wandered once again to Micchi. I felt a pang of grief, followed by another thought. Joining an organization of criminals could grant me access to information regarding Micchi's unknown killer. Revenge filled my head. I was already started to feel evil and I wasn't even a member yet.

"How can I join?"

Deidara grinned.

I found myself in a huge clearing with an odd assortment of people: a blue-skinned man with gills and an enormous sword; an overgrown plant-thing-person; a pale man with pink eyes, slicked-back white hair, and a triple-bladed scythe; a person with a swirly orange mask who kept repeating, "Tobi is a good boy!"; a man whose face was hidden in shadows; a man with red eyes, a black ponytail, and lines on his face; a man with a black mask covering his mouth and nose who kept counting and recounting his money; a woman with bright blue hair with a flower in it, and Deidara.

What a motley crew! (I had to write it!)

Deidara spoke.

"Everyone, this is Emika-san, our potential new member, _hmmm_. Emika-san, this is Kisame, Zetsu, Hidan, Tobi, Leader-sama, Itachi, Kakuzu, and Konan, _hmmm_."

I bowed and greeted them. I faced the leader.

"What do I need to do to join?"

"Show us your skills," he replied, returning my weapons.  


I grinned, thinking of my vengeance.

"Gladly," I said, and began.


	6. Audition

I armed myself as Akatsuki looked on, and I mentally prepared my best techniques.

"Deidara-sempai is the only one who has seen my fire attack, so I'll start with that." I laughed to myself at how violently I had greeted him.

Once again I unleashed my flames. I pummeled the nearest tree for a few seconds, then put my palms together and drew them apart, forming a huge fireball between them. Energy built up, and the fireball blasted out of my hands into the tree, completely destroying it.

I looked back to see their reactions, seeing that most were impressed, though Kakuzu was still preoccupied with counting his money.

I unsheathed my katana, bringing one flaming hand up to meet the blade. The same purple flames ran up the blade.

My blade sliced through the air, weaving complicated attacks. I whipped around to strike down another invisible enemy. I made little unnecessary movement, each attack flowing into the next.

For my last attack, I swung my sword toward the ground, and where the blade had passed through the air, flames appeared and shot away from me in a deadly crescent, forming scorch marks on the ground at extensive damage to yet another tree.

I proceeded to face the group. Then, in a simple, sure movement, I leapt a few feet into the air, remaining suspended there, bobbing up and down slightly.

A collective gasp came from the group. Apparently, and unsurprisingly, I was the only one capable of flight. Well, I HAD invented it.

"How is Emika-chan doing that?" asked Tobi.

"I'm sure all of you can walk up solid objects and on the surface of water, correct?''

A murmur of assent passed through the group, their faces amazed.

"Well I adapted that for the next state of matter, gas." I said this as I bobbed and weaved through the air, showing my range of motion.

I then produced more fireballs from my hands, releasing them into the air to float around me. I twisted my body around, spinning rapidly, causing the fireballs to fly in all directions, burning and blasting holes through whatever they touched, though avoiding the group entirely. I came to a stop, then glided back to the ground, bowing once I landed.

The group watched all this in awed silence, which was broken by Leader-sama.

"Excellent skills, you will make a fine new member. Deidara, be sure to find her a cloak and a place to sleep." With that he walked off toward the base.

All but Tobi, Kisame, Hidan, and Deidara walked back to the base as well, and the four walked up to me.

Tobi spoke first, almost too cheerfully.

"Tobi is a good boy, and Emika-chan must be a good girl because she is very powerful!"

"Er...thank you, Tobi...-kun? Can I call you that?"

"Yep, because Tobi's name is Tobi!"

He may have been a bit childish and not very bright, but I liked him already.

Kisame, a.k.a. Sharkboy, spoke next as Tobi skipped (weird) away.

"I'm very impressed with your skill, the flying being most impressive. I have never head of someone accomplishing that before! Oh, er... do you like sushi?" He asked this last part concernedly.

"Yes!" I said this without thinking how he'd react.

He seemed hurt, then angry, stomping off back toward the base as well.

Hidan spoke up.

"I cannot deny that you are powerful, but I can tell you do not have the heart to be evil. Tell me, what is your REAL motive in joining?"

My temper flared. As quickly as I had decided I liked Tobi, so now I decided I hated Hidan. If he was going to pry and ask about Micchi, I was never going to like him.

"IF YOU ASK AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU!!" I yelled.

"NOT A CHANCE!"

"WHY'S THAT?!" I was offended that he thought so little of me after my performance.

"I'M #&# IMMORTAL!"

"...Well that gives you a slight advantage... But it won't stop me from trying!" I felt stupid for starting a fight with an immortal person as the animosity between us grew.

We stared each other down, each reaching for our weapons. Deidara grabbed my wrist and started dragging me toward the base, leaving Hidan steaming behind us.

"Don't start fights on your first day, _hmmm_. Don't start fights with Hidan at all, _hmmm_. It won't end in your favor, _hmmm_. Let's go find you a room and a uniform, _hmmm_."

There was silence as he pulled me along by the hand.

"Please don't kill ME for asking, but why were you crying by the river yesterday, _hmmm_?" he asked quietly.

_He saw that?_

I was silent, so he spoke again.

"You don't have to tell me, since we don't really know each other, but if you need to talk about it, I'll listen, _hmmm_."

A strange warmth spread through me. Evil organization members could actually be nice! I felt compelled to tell him.

"...I was crying because my best friend since forever...Michiru, was... killed on a mission. ...When I heard of it, I... ran away, and I had to vent my feelings...so..." I found that my face was wet, tears rolling down my cheeks.

Deidara stopped walking and turned to me, but did not let go of my hand.

"Don't cry, _hmmm_. You were in love with him, weren't you, _hmmm_?"

I nodded, sniffling.

"I'm sure he loved you too, _hmmm_._"_

I looked up, and my pink eyes met his blue one. We stared at each other, and then nervously looked away from each other, blushing. He let go of my hand and I felt a strange feeling. One that made me feel guilty, thinking about Micchi. I shouldn't have, but, **I liked Deidara.**


	7. Honorifics

No, I couldn't like Deidara; I loved Micchi! I tried to bury these newly realized feelings in the back of my mind, but they lingered.

Deidara and I still stood among the trees, looking anywhere but at each other. The awkward silence grew. Deidara finally spoke.

"Well, let's go get you that uniform, _hmmm_. Oh, and under Leader-sama's orders, at least for a while, you'll be on a team with Tobi and I, because Tobi's useless, and you're obviously not, _hmmm_.

He began to walk back to the base. I followed a few feet behind. We walked in silence until we reached the base, which we entered. He led me to what I could tell was the living room, told me to wait, then he left, coming back a few minutes later with an Akatsuki cloak.

"Here you go, _hmmm_." He handed it to me.

I tried it on, and it was only slightly too large for me. I left it on, then sat down on the couch and spoke to Deidara, who then sat down beside me.

"Where can I sleep?"

"Um, well all the rooms are already taken, but you'll share a room with Konan once we get another bed, _hmmm_. Until then, you'll have my room, _hmmm_.

"Your room? No, I couldn't take your room!" I protested. "What about the room I was locked in? What's wrong with that one?"

He stared, dumbstruck, at me. Then he started laughing.

"That WAS my room, _hmmm_! And now it doesn't have a door, _hmmm_!" he said through his laughter, finally just smirking at me.

I flushed with embarrassment.

"Eh?! I'm so sorry about the door!" I turned redder and redder.

"What are you worried about, _hmmm_? You were just reacting like a prisoner would if you thought I was your captor, _hmmm_. I kinda was, so it's justified, _hmmm_!"

He trailed off, still smirking, but leaving us to dwell in silence once again. I broke it.

"So, how did I get here? The last thing I remember before waking up here this morning is attacking that tree by the river, which you apparently saw me doing, if you knew I was crying.."  


"Well, I passed by in the woods and heard all the noise you were making, _hmmm_. I saw you, and could tell you were powerful, so I went report you to Leader-sama, _hmmm_. I went back, but I didn't approach you, because you seemed like you'd kill anything that crossed your path, _hmmm_." He laughed again, this time a little nervously.

"After you continued that for a few hours with no sign of calming down, you began to get tired, _hmmm_. Eventually, you collapsed from exhaustion and I carried you back to base, _hmmm_. That's when I could tell that you had been crying, _hmmm_. Once we got back, I locked you in my room and slept here, _hmmm_." He patted the seat of the couch.

"You saw all that?! But I must have been doing that for several hours! Didn't you get tired of just waiting?"

"Not really, _hmmm_." There was a small smile on his face.

"But Deidara-sempai, you fell asleep right after getting back! Tobi saw you!" Tobi said, bounding into the room.

"SHUT UP, TOBI, HMMM!!" Deidara got red and stood up to face Tobi.

"Deidara-sempai is not a good boy because he told Tobi to shut up!" whined Tobi.

With Deidara yelling and Tobi whining, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

They both turned and stared at me (though you can never tell with Tobi), surprised.

"Uh, well, you two were just acting so funny, I had to laugh!" I tried to explain.

Deidara's previously angry face softened. Tobi's, well, with Tobi, again, how can you tell?

Deidara turned to Tobi, snarled, "Go away, _hmmm_!" and turned back to me as Tobi scampered off.

"Emika-san, aren't you tired, _hmmm_?" he asked.

I then realized that I was exhausted from all that had happened the past 2 days.

"Yeah, a little..." I admitted, then yawned, revealing the truth.

"Then it's settled, _hmmm_! You'll stay in my room and I'll sleep in here, _hmmm_!"

"What?! No, I told you, I can't take your room!"  


"Yes, you can, and you will, _hmmm_."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me up so I was standing next to him. Still gripping my forearm, he pulled me down the hall to his room. I allowed myself to be dragged along, stumbling after him.

We reached his now-doorless doorway and he pulled me inside, turning on the light as he passed the switch. Too tired to resist, I let him pull me down to sit on the bed.

"Fine, I'll sleep here tonight, but this is the last time!" I said firmly, if somewhat sleepily, as I finally removed my cloak, draping it over my bag, which was where I had left it.

"We'll see tomorrow, _hmmm_. Good night, _hmmm_."

He turned off the light as I pulled the blanket over me. I looked at him, silhouetted in the doorway.

"Good night, Deidara-sempai..." I called softly.

"Emika-san, please don't call me Deidara-sempai, I associate that with Tobi and he annoys me, _hmmm_."

"Well, Deidara-kun, call me Emika-chan, then," I countered.

"Good night, Emika-chan, _hmmm_."

"Good night, Deidara-kun."

He turned and walked down the hall, back to the living room.

As his footsteps faded, I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep, mumbling, for the first time, Deidara's name instead of Micchi's...

"Deidara-kun..."


	8. Showers

I awoke the next morning, once again in that freakishly empty room. This time, however, I knew where I was, so I was more at ease.

I began to think about Deidara-kun, but before I realized, thoughts of Micchi crept into my mind.

I curled up under the covers as I felt pangs of guilt. If Micchi was dead, was I betraying his memory by already liking another guy? I thought about this, not knowing what to do. I closed my eyes and lay there, thinking about all this.

My eyes flew open as someone walked into the room. I saw that it was Deidara, and I relaxed.

He saw that I was awake, apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Emika-chan, did I wake you, _hmmm_?"

"No, I was awake, just thinking..." As I spoke, I felt my face turn red, and I pulled the covers up to cover most of my face.

He walked over to the dresser, squatting down in front of it and pulling drawers open.

"I just need some clothes, I forgot to get some last night for my shower this morning and now I'm bothering you, _hmmm_...

"You're not bothering me..." I whispered.

"What, hmmm?"

"Oh, um...There's a shower?" I asked, attempting to cover.

"Yup, the bathroom is right across the hall if you need it, _hmmm_."

"Okay, but you go first; I'm not ready."

"Okay, _hmmm_."

He walked through the doorway and across the hall, opening the bathroom door and locking it behind him.

I threw off the covers and sat up. I pulled my bag off the floor, my cloak coming with it. I pulled out a change of clothes and set them on the bed. I also pulled out some random food for breakfast. I was too distracted by my thoughts to care about what I was eating.

It hit me; I belonged to an evil organization. I could never go back to Konoha. I had no living family to miss me, but all my friends, especially Daichi, would be worried.

I thought about how I ran away, not listening to anyone who tried to stop me as I fled. I had left everyone and everything behind, not even saying farewell...

The bathroom door clicked open, and Deidara stepped out, drying his hair with a towel as he walked back in the room.

"Your turn, _hmmm_."

I stood up with my stack of clothes and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. As I stepped into the shower, I allowed the hot water to wash away my thoughts of my life in Konoha.

As I dried myself off and changed into my fresh clothes, I wondered what it would be like to be a villain instead of fighting one.

I let myself out of the bathroom and went back into the room to sit down on the bed, my purple hair dripping wet.

I lit one of my palms and proceeded to run my fingers through my hair. Instead of burning, my hair steamed and dried. As I dried it, I let it fall around my shoulders.

Deidara, still in the room, his hair now up as normal, watched with interest.

I smirked at him.

"Works much better than a towel, doesn't it?"

"How is your hair not burning when that fire so easily destroyed those trees, _hmmm_?"

"I can easily control my fire's potency; if I only want it to give off light, that's all it does; in this case, it's just enough heat for the water to evaporate..."

"Amazing, _hmmm_..." He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was staring at me, making me nervous and causing me to blush.

"Well, what's next?" I asked, breaking yet another awkward silence.

"You're now officially a member, so you get to attend your first meeting, _hmmm_."

"When is it?"  


"In... two minutes, _hmmm_!" he said as he realized we were almost late.

We looked at each other.

We shouted in unison.

"GO!"

**Deidara's P.o.V.** (same time frame)

I awoke the next morning once again on the strangely comfortable couch, _hmmm_. It may have been comfortable, but it was still a couch, and a bit too short for me, _hmmm_.

It was worth giving up my bed for Emika-san, no, Emika-chan now, _hmmm_.

I got off the couch, and walked down the hall to my room, planning to take a shower, _hmmm_. As I walked in, Emika-chan's eyes flew open and she looked at me, seeming reassured by this, _hmmm_.

I apologized for waking her, though she denied that I did, _hmmm_. I offered to let her take a shower first, but she told me to go, mumbling something inaudible, _hmmm_.

I got clothes out of my dresser and walked across the hall, locking the bathroom door behind me, _hmmm_. I turned on the water and stepped in, the hot water clearing my mind, _hmmm_.

I finished my shower and stepped out, drying off and getting dressed, _hmmm_. I put my towel over my head, scrubbing out the water, _hmmm_. Still drying it, I left the bathroom, stating to Emika-chan that it was her turn, _hmmm_.

She got up, and went for her shower, _hmmm_. I continued drying my hair, then put it up in my usual style, _hmmm_. She takes really long showers, _hmmm_...

When she came out, I was simply waiting and I expected her to do something with her hair, because it was soaking wet, _hmmm_. She had no towel, so I was confused, _hmmm_.

I as she sat down, she did that hand fireball thing, in only one of her hands this time, _hmmm_. I continued watching, my interest piqued, _hmmm_.

As I watched she put her hand in her hair, using the fire, surprisingly, to dry her hair, _hmmm_. It did not burn, which was confusing, as she had effortlessly destroyed those trees with that technique earlier, 

_hmmm_.

I stated as much, to which she replied with an explaination that she can control the heat and destructive power of her fire, _hmmm_.

"Amazing, _hmmm_..." I trailed off, simply staring at her as if absentminded, but fully well aware, _hmmm_. She was powerful, true, but she was kind and calm when she wasn't trying to attack someone, _hmmm_... She was also beautiful, and as I stared at her, marveling at all this, she began to blush and shifted her eyes away, asking me:

"Well, what's next?"

I explained that we had her first meeting to attend, realizing, when she asked, that it started in two minutes, _hmmm_. We were going to be late if we didn't get there soon, _hmmm_!

We looked at each other, shouting in unison,

"GO!"

**End Deidara's P.o.V.**


	9. Donuts and Handmouths

I grabbed my cloak off the bed as Deidara and I sprinted out of the room, putting it on as we turned right and ran down the hall away from the living room.

We ran until we reached a room with double doors. Deidara entered and I followed behind.

Unsurprisingly, all eyes turned to the two of us as we opened the door. There was an empty chair on either side of Tobi, to the right, Hidan, to the left, Itachi.

Not wanting to start another fight with Hidan, I sat down next to Itachi, leaving Deidara to sit by Hidan. As everyone continued to stare, Leader-sama spoke.

"Now that you two have finally graced us with your presence, we can begin the meeting."

I got very red and sank down in my seat as pairs of eyes gradually began to turn away.

"Would Emika-chan like a donut?" Tobi whispered.

I noticed a plate of donuts in the center of the table.

"Sure."

He reached across the table and grabbed a donut, handing it to me. As I took it and took a bite, I looked around the table and saw that almost everyone else was eating one too, but Tobi merely held half of one in his hand, his mask still on. I wondered what he really looked like, but then looked past him to Deidara, who was eating his donut with his hands.

For most people, that is not uncommon, but in Deidara's case, his HANDS were eating the donut.

I shrieked and fell out of my chair. Once again, all eyes were on me, this time either incredulous or amused. I pointed at Deidara.

"...His hands... have mouths...! Oh my God!" I stared agape at Deidara who had an amused smirk on his face.

"Jashin!" Hidan shouted.

"What?!" I asked shrilly.

"It's 'Oh my Jashin!' Get it right, darn it!" He shouted angrily.

"Fine, Oh my Jashin!" I shouted back, dripping with sarcasm.

I flushed deep red, standing up and dusting myself off. I set my chair upright, pulling it in behind me as I sat back down at the table, my eyes down the entire time.

I spent the rest of the meeting staring at the table, wallowing in embarrassment. As soon as it was over, I leapt out of my chair and was out the door before anyone else.

I rushed down the hall, past Deidara's room and the living room, and out of the base. I walked out among the trees, and once I was far from the base, I sat down and leaned back against a tree.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on my knees, feeling stupid and embarrassed. I did not fit in here; I was no criminal. I was too naïve. How could I possibly find Micchi's killer if I was this unobservant?

How did I not notice Deidara's hand-mouths? He had pulled me by the hand away from my fight with Hidan and when he made me take his room. Surely I should have noticed!

Eyes still closed, I leaned my head back against the tree trunk. Sunlight streamed through my closed eyelids, appearing red. I opened my eyes, preferring the soft blue of the sky to the angry red.

I watched the clouds, pondering my situation. The other members must think me a fool, a powerful one, but a fool nonetheless.

As I continued to stare into the sky, someone approached from behind, and as they rounded the tree, I saw it was Deidara, a strange expression on his face.

He saw me, and sat down on the ground next to me. I glanced at him and returned my eyes to the sky, blushing.

"I'm sorry, but that was hilarious, _hmmm_!" He said, snickering.

So that face he was making was amusement! I glared at him, a bit angry.

"Well I'm glad it was fun for you!" I said, turning to look the other way.

"I'm sorry, _hmmm_..." He sounded so honest I turned back to face him. I saw genuine caring in his face. I blushed again.

"I feel stupid..."

"Why, _hmmm_?"

"You know all my abilities and who I am, and I know next to nothing about you, which I just showed everyone so spectacularly..."  


"Well, that's partially my fault for not telling you, _hmmm_."

"..."

"Why don't I show you, _hmmm_?"

Without waiting for an answer to his obviously rhetorical question, he reached into his cloak, pulling something out of a pouch at his waist. he revealed it to be clay, which his hand-mouth began to chew. After a while, it spit it out, and Deidara curled his fingers around the lump of clay. When he uncurled them two clay birds sat in his palm.

He tossed one into the air, and it began moving and flew some distance away from us. He made a handsign and muttered, "Art is a bang," and the bird exploded, producing a large "bang" that caused nearby real birds to soar away in terror.

"Wow..." I stared at the smoke remaining from the explosion in awe.

"Cool, _hmmm_?"

"Yeah! But what's the other one for?" I pointed at the one he had dropped on his lap.

He picked it up and did the same thing as with the first, but, this time, when he said, "Art is a bang," the bird, in a puff of smoke, grew until it was taller than Deidara and it stood among the trees.

He stood up and turned to me.

"Come on, _hmmm_." He stretched his hand toward me.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he pulled me to my feet.

"Flying, _hmmm_! You're not the only one, _hmmm_!"

We walked over to the giant bird and he motioned for me to hop on, which I did, Deidara following suit. I kneeled down and sat back on my feet, holding on with my hands like Deidara showed me.

"Brace yourself, _hmmm_!" he said as we took off.

Our speed caused the trees to rustle in our wake. I almost slid off, but Deidara grabbed my arm and pulled me forward before I slid too far. The wind whipped past us, tangling our hair as we rose ever higher, higher than I had ever flown before.

My eyes watered from the wind, but I was too distracted by the sights to care. I scanned the scene below me, tiny trees so far away. Our height was astounding.

An idea popped into my head, a prank to play on Deidara. I smirked to myself.

"Oh, how can I ever face anyone after what happened at the meeting? It's hopeless!" I said dramatically as I hopped off the right side of the bird, flying under it, easily keeping its speed.

"EMIKA-CHAN!" Deidara shouted, leaning over the edge, trying to see where I was falling. I flew under to the left side, calling out to him.

"How very quickly you forgot that I can fly!" I said as I flew alongside it horizontally, grinning.

He turned, his face pained with worry, then filled with anger.

"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT, _HMMM_!! His face was livid, and I flinched when he shouted this.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd take it that seriously..." I argued weakly, still keeping the speed of the bird.

His face calmed a little, and he turned to face forward, obviously still getting over the scare.

"You must remember that I can fly circles around you!" I grinned and began doing just that, flying around the bird, over and under, both Deidara and I laughing.

After a while of this, I rode on the bird again, this time sitting to Deidara's left, both of us still laughing.

"Isn't flying so much fun?" I looked at him and grinned as we continued soaring.

"I always did love it, _hmmm_!"

"How far have we gone?" I asked as I realized we had probably been flying for hours.

"Too far, we should probably head back, _hmmm_." His face fell as he said this, realizing the same thing.

We turned in the air, heading back the way we came.

"So have you ever been in love with someone?" I asked innocently, wanting to learn a bit about his past.

He stared at me, then we both blushed and looked away.

"...no...but I have had my best friend die, _hmmm_..." he said, sounding sad.  


I listened intently.

"Sasori-danna was killed by his grandmother and that pink-haired friend of the Kyuubi kid, _hmmm_."

_"Oh, that Sakura chick, I never did get along with her, always talking about Sasuke!"_ I thought.

"He was a puppet master, actually, he was a puppet himself, _hmmm_. He made his puppets out of humans, so they were extremely powerful, _hmmm_. I respected him as a fellow artist, thought our views of art differed greatly, _hmmm_. What do you think art is, _hmmm_?" He turned to look me in the eye.

"Art is... beauty, and all its forms. Art is anything, from a rainbow, fleeting and intangible, to a mountain, withstanding time. Art is everything."

"That's a beautiful interpretation, _hmmm_. I never saw it that way, _hmmm_."

I blushed as he continued staring at me. We rode in silence the rest of the way, the wind still whipping our hair around our faces. We landed around where we had left from, each leaping off a side.

The bird shrank and flew into the air, exploding when Deidara once again muttered, "Art is a bang."

We walked toward the base in silence until something shot out in front of us. Something black and orange. Tobi.

"Tobi wants to know where Emika-chan and Deidara-sempai were! Tobi is suspicious!"

"We were flying, you idiot, _hmmm_!"

"Tobi doesn't believe Deidara-sempai!" Tobi teased.

"Tobi, can't you tell by our freakishly windblown hair?" I indicated the tangled mess of purple hanging from my head.

"Okay, Tobi believes Emika-chan!" He skipped away.

"Oh, he believes YOU, _hmmm_!" Deidara huffed in mock annoyance.

"I'm much more believable than you! I'm trustworthy!" I said, faking immense pride and putting my hands on my hips.

My stomach growled.

"And hungry!" I added, still in my ridiculous Peter-Pan-ish pose. I realized I had only eaten bread, some random food, and a donut in the past 48 hours.

"To the kitchen, _hmmm_!" Deidara shouted, playing along and pointing toward the base.

We both laughed.


	10. Enchiladas

We walked into the base, still laughing. I followed Deidara down the hall and into the living room. The kitchen was through a door in the living room.

"So what shall we eat, _hmmm_?"

I looked through the fridge and pantry and found little to work with. We had enough for ONE thing that I was pretty good at making, though.

"ENCHILADAS!" I shouted, pulling out the ingredients.

"Okay..._hmmm_..." Deidara said, a bit weirded out by my random outburst.

I took tortillas and ground meat of the fridge, and began cooking the meat in a pan as I figured out what to put in the enchiladas. I found cheese, tomatoes, a bunch of random spices, and luckily, enchilada sauce. All that would have to do.

After I added the spices and as the meat cooked up, I diced the tomatoes. Deidara just stood there, occasionally stirring the meat. When it was done, I rolled it up in the tortillas along with the tomatoes and cheese. I put them all in a baking pan and poured the sauce over them, sticking the pan in the oven and setting the timer.

"Okay, that should take a while, so what now?" I asked as I washed my hands.

"I don't know, _hmmm_."

Kisame walked in, glanced at our messed-up hair, and rushed out again.

"Sorry for the intrusion!" he called. size9_"Sushi lover..."_/size he hissed.

"..."

"..._hmmm_..."

"Okaaaaay, we really need to do something with our hair, with both of us messed up everyone thinks we were out doing something...dirty, I guess..."

"..._hmmm_." He didn't seem at all disturbed by this idea.

"Okay, I guess while that's cooking, I'll detangle us. Do you have a brush?"

"Yeah, I'll go get it, _hmmm_." He walked out of the kitchen, out of the living room, and down the hall to his (our) bathroom.  


I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, cross-legged. He came back with large paddle brush stuck in his hair, a defeated look on his face.

"I don't think this will help, _hmmm_." He tried to free the brush from his hair.

"Let me do that! Sit here." I pointed to the floor in front of where I was sitting on the couch. He sat down with his back to me, also cross-legged.

I struggled with his ponytail holder, trying to get it off. Eventually I did, though not without a few "Ow, _hmmm_!"s.

I grabbed the handle of the brush, infusing the bristles with chakra. The hair around the brush began to detangle. I got it out, then attacked the rest of his hair in the same way, blushing deeply when i realized I was brushing a guy's hair.

I finished detangling, then put his hair back up in the half-ponytail. When I let go, he turned around and looked at me.

"What's with all your hair-care techniques, _hmmm_?" He smirked.

"Um, well, I'm a girl!" I said, stating the obvious, as I began to work on my own hair, which took longer because it IS longer and had not been held together in a ponytail. I finished detangling, then began to braid the hair that fell in front of my ears, pulling the two braids to meet at the back of my head.

"Hold this here, please, but don't pull!" He held the ends of my braids and tugged gently, smirking.

I mock-scowled as I lit one of my fingertips, grabbing the tip of the flame between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand. The flame stretched and formed a flickering, shimmering purple ribbon, which then used to tie my braids together.

I turned around and saw Deidara gaping at me.

"What?"

"How do you come up with all this stuff, _hmmm_?"

"I'm just that awesome! Now, what's that beeping sound?" Mygrin turned into a face of confusion.

"You're so awesome, you forgot the enchiladas, _hmmm_! He laughed.

"Oh, no!" I rushed into the kitchen, turning off the timer and opening the oven, grabbing an oven mitt to 

pull out the pan.

I placed the pan on top of the stove so I could close and turn off the stove.

"Well, dig in!" I said as I handed Deidara a plate.

We each served ourselves and sat down at the table.

"Itadakimasu!" We said in unison.

Deidara took a bite, this time using a fork and eating with his normal mouth.

"It's good, _hmmm_!" he said, after trying it.

"Nah, I've made better..." I said after I tried it.

"It's still good, _hmmm_!"

"Thanks." I blushed. Why did I always blush?

We finished eating in silence. When we were both finished, I brought our dishes, along with the pans, bowls, and knives I had used over to the sink. I put the rest of the enchiladas in a plastic container and stuck it in the fridge. I turned around and saw Deidara washing the dishes.

"No, let me do that, I made the mess!"

"You cooked, so I'll clean, _hmmm_. Deal, _hmmm_?"

"Fine, hmph!" I sat down at the table, arms and legs crossed in mock frustration.

A strange idea floated into my mind.

"Wait, what about your hand-mouths?" I asked in disgust.

"They're closed, it doesn't matter, _hmmm_." He chuckled.

"..."

"This isn't the first time I wash dishes, _hmmm_."

"Fine, fine."

He finished and put the dishes away. I yawned involuntarily.

"Tired from flying, _hmmm_?"

"Yup..."

"That means it's off to bed with you, _hmmm_!"

"No, I'm sleeping on the couch!" I rushed out of the kitchen and sat down on the couch.

He walked through the door, following me into the room.

"Emika-chan, you're taking the bed, _hmmm_!"

"No!" I crossed my arms to make my point.

"So stubborn, _hmmm_..." He smirked.

He leaned forward and picked me up, draping me over his shoulder so I was facing behind him. I struggled to get free.

"Let me go!" I pounded my fists against his back.

"No, _hmmm_." He held on tighter.

Struggling and fighting back weren't working, so I just gave up, letting him carry me to his room, which now had a door.

"There's a door!" Here I am, stating the obvious. Again...

"They must have replaced it while we were out flying, _hmmm_."

"That means I probably have a bed! Let me go!" I resumed struggling as we entered the room.

"Maybe, but you stay here while I go find out, _hmmm_." He placed me on the bed and rushed out of the room, locking me in.

"NOOOOOOOO!!" I shouted, being overly dramatic. I rushed to the door and pounded it with my fists.

"Please don't break the door again, _hmmm_! I'll be right back, _hmmm_!" He walked away, laughing.

I stomped back to the bed, sitting down in a huff, after taking off my cloak and once again draping it over my bag. I continued to sit, fuming, until Deidara came back. He spoke as he entered the room.

"Leader-sama said you'll probably have a bed by tomorrow night, so promise to stay in here tonight or I'll lock you in, _hmmm_."

"I'll make no such promise!"

"Fine, it's the hard way, then, _hmmm_!" He walked over to me.

"W-What are you doing?!" I shouted as he pushed me by my shoulders so I was lying on the bed. I struggled against his grip.

"Making sure you stay here, _hmmm_." He smirked.

He leaned toward me, hands still on my shoulders, and kissed me gently on the forehead. I froze, no longer struggling. That strange warmth was once again spreading through me.

"..." Was all I could choke out.

"Good night to you, too, Emika-chan, _hmmm_." He got up, smiling, turned off the light, and locked the door behind him.

My face began burning as I pulled the covers over me, glad that it was dark and Deidara wasn't there to see me. My forehead burned. He had kissed me! I was in shock. My thoughts were jumbled.

The little sleep I had that night was full of troubling dreams, dreams where I had to choose between Micchi and Deidara.

Who will I choose?


	11. The Dream

One of these unsettling dreams began with Micchi and Deidara standing in a clearing, facing each other. They did not notice me, just stood there.

As I watched, they began to fight, Deidara hurling his bombs one after another, Micchi dodging and countering with his kunai and shuriken.

I wanted to stop the fight, to intervene, but I was unable to move, my legs seeming to be rooted in that one spot. I tried to call out to them to stop, but my voice was gone.

I stood there, helpless, and I watched in horror as one of Deidara's bombs exploded inches from Micchi, blasting into him and sending him flying backwards, where he crumpled against the ground.

I screamed, horified, and this time the sound pierced through the air.

"MICCHI!!"

Still, neither of them took notice of me.

The dream-Deidara turned, leaving Micchi for dead. Micchi stirred, unnoticed by Deidara.

I heard people burst into the room, but I could not wrench myself from the dream. People were shouting my name, but I could not respond.

As I watched, Micchi struggled to arise as Deidara walked slowly away.

I was struggling, trying to move from that spot to run to Micchi, and I heard the real Deidara shout, "Hold her down, _hmmm_!" I felt hands trying to restrain me, but my body lashed out involuntarily, striking them away.

Dream-Micchi reached up behind his head for his giant shuriken, preparing to throw it.

I screamed again as Micchi hurled the shuriken with all his remaining strength, collapsing back against the ground as it impaled itself in Deidara's back. Deidara lurched forward, coughing up blood as he hit the ground.

I screamed louder, this time Deidara's name.

"DEIDARA!!"

They both lay dying, and I was crying, but for whom?  


I felt the real Deidara beside me, grabbing my arms, holding me still. I did not swat him away like the others.

"Emika-chan, calm down, _hmmm_!"

At the sound of his voice, my eyes flew open and I sat up abruptly, the dream fading. I stared at him, wide-eyed and frantic, but also slightly relieved.

My breath came in short, irregular gasps, my skin felt clammy, and I was shivering in shock.

Deidara's eyes were worried, afraid for me.

Everyone else, save Kisame and Hidan, stood around the bed. I was sure those two had left as soon as they realized it was me in trouble.

I struggled to catch my breath as the group stared at me. Once my breathing was more regular and I seemed calmer, Leader-sama spoke.

"Everyone, back to bed, she's fine." And with that, he walked off.

One by one, everyone else headed back to their rooms. As Kakuzu left, he mumbled angrily, "You owe me for slapping me across the room..."

Tobi made a big deal out of making sure I was alright, talking too loud and being overly cheerful, as usual.

"Is Emika-chan okay? Did she have a bad dream?"

"I'm fine, Tobi-kun!"

"Tobi will go back to bed, then!" He skipped away.

Deidara remained in the room with me, both of us silent. After a while, he spoke, sitting down on the bed.

"You called for Micchi... and for me, _hmmm_." He stated this matter-of-factly.

"Yes."

"Were we in your dream, _hmmm_?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it, _hmmm_?"

"No."

"Do you want me to leave, _hmmm_?" He got up, not really waiting for an answer.

I reached out, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back down. He looked at me, obviously waiting for me to speak. When I didn't, he did.

"I'm soory, _hmmm_."

"Why?"

"I kissed you, _hmmm_." He brushed his fingertips lightly across my forehead. I blushed.

"Is that why you were having nightmares about us, _hmmm_?"

I could not honestly answer no, so I merely looked down at my hands, folded on top of the blanket, and he understood my silence.

"I promise I won't do it again,_hmmm_."

I continued to look down and blush.

"Go back to sleep, _hmmm_." He pushed back on my shoulders as earlier that night, but this time I lay down without a fuss.

I pulled the blankets up to my chin, shivering, suddenly cold from sweating.

Deidara got up, turning toward the door.

"Please don't leave..." I whispered.

He walked over to the door, closing it partway and turning off the light. He walked back, kneeling beside the bed and sitting back on his feet. He crossed his arms, rested them on the bed, and put his head down on top, turning his face to me.

"Sleep, _hmmm_. I won't leave, _hmmm_," He reassured me.

I reluctantly closed my eyes, turning my face into the pillow a bit.  


Something brushed against my cheek. Deidara's fingers. He reached up, brushing my bangs from my face.

My eyes flew open, and I looked at him, startled.

"My turn to play with **your** hair, _hmmm_."

He ran his fingers through the length of my hair, twirling the ends around his fingers.

"In that case," I reached out from under the covers, grabbed his ponytail, and pulled playfully. "Payback!" I smiled and he smirked.

"I guess I deserved that, _hmmm_?" He chuckled.

"Yes, you did!" I mock-scowled and then laughed, too late remembering my horrible nightmare. I grew serious, fearful and confused.

As I worried about this, my eyelids grew heavy. Deidara noticed this.

"Sleep, _hmmm_. I'll stay here, I promise, _hmmm_." He put his head back down on his arm, where it rested on the bed.

I closed my eyes as he resumed stroking my hair, the rythmic motion calming me, lulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	12. The Truth

I woke up some time later, slightly startled when I opened my eyes and found myself looking at Deidara, who was asleep. He still knelt beside the bed, head resting on his arm, hand still wrapped in my hair.

I found myself wondering: _"Why does he care so much?"; "What does he see in me?"_ I had only known him for two days, yet it felt as if I had known him for years.

I stared at him, pondering things. I blushed at his proximity to me.

On a whim, I slowly pulled my hand from under the covers, so as not to wake him. I pulled my hair away from his hand, then placed my hand in his. He did not stir from his sleep.

Holding his hand, I once again fell asleep.

When I woke up again, Deidara was gone, a folded piece of paper in my hand. I opened it, fining it to be a note from Deidara.

_Emika-chan,  
I am helping move your new bed into Konan's and your room. When you wake up, please wait for me in the living room with your stuff.  
Deidara  
P.S.: You're cute when you sleep._

I blushed at this last line, suddenly flustered. Was he serious, or was he just trying to mess with me? First he kisses me, now this? I reread the note and decided to distract myself with a shower.

I got a new change of clothes from my bag and walked to the bathroom, glad to be out of the sweaty clothes I was wearing. I stepped into the shower, the hot water feeling good, effectively distracting me and washing away the remnants of that horrible dream.

I finished, got dressed, and reentered Deidara's room, hair dripping as I collected up my few things. I put on my cloak, picked up my bag, and lifted my katana from where it lay on top of the dresser. (How did it get there?)

I left the room and walked down to the living room, setting my stuff down on the couch. I "turned on" my hair-fire, drying my hair, rebraiding it when I finished.

I sat there on the couch, not knowing what to do next. My stomach rumbled. Breakfast, then. I got up, walking into the kitchen. I hunted through the fridge, finding eggs, cheese and sausage.

I got out a pan and scrambled the eggs with the cheese and fried the sausage. I put some of each on a plate, grabbing a fork and sitting down at the table. I ate quickly, not really tasting my meal. I washed, 

dried, and put away the dishes before walking back into the living room and sitting back down on the couch.

Unoccupied again, I started worrying about Deidara, blushing. Searching for a distraction, I formed a few fireballs, freeing them to float around me. I collected them up in my hands and began to juggle them. I continued this, attempting to concentrate, until I heard footsteps, allowing the fireballs to dissolve into the air.

Deidara walked into the room, entering through the door opposite the one that led to his room. I blushed, once again nervous.

"Um..." I was being incredibly articulate.

"Your room's all ready, _hmmm_. Grab your stuff, and we'll go move you in, _hmmm_!" he said, smiling.

I attempted a smile back, succeeding in a nervous one. I gathered up my bag and katana, standing up as I did so.

I followed him back out into the hall he had come from, turning away from the base's entrance. We walked down the hall, entering a room with two beds pushed against opposite walls.

The right side of the room was buried in scraps of paper, all shapes and sizes. This was a sharp contrast to the left, which was as spotless as Deidara's room. I assumed that side to be mine.

Folded sheets lay on top of the bare mattress, and I walked over to make my bed. I ran straight into Deidara's arm, which he had thrown out to stop me. I stared at him, puzzled.

"I'll make the bed, you unpack, _hmmm_."

I obeyed this, carrying my bag and katana over to the dresser that was pushed against the wall on my side of the room. I put my katana on top and set my bag on the floor, kneeling down next to it.

I began to unpack, noticing how much empty space was left in the dresser. I put my kunai and shuriken in the top drawer, then closed them all and stood up.

I pulled a small garbage can that was beside the dresser closer to me, throwing away all the food I had in my backpack. Once the bag was empty, I turned it upside down, shaking it to get rid of the crumbs left at the bottom.

As I shook it up and down, something like a white sheet of paper fluttered out, gliding down to the floor. I picked it up, flipping it over to see the other side.

What I saw caused a sad smile to appear on my face. It was a picture of Micchi. In my hurry to leave, I had not packed one, but there had been one in the bottom of the bag this whole time.

Deidara notced my face and walked over, done making the bed. He stopped in front of me, facing me.

"What is that, _hmmm_?" His face was curious.

"An old picture of Michiru," I said sadly, handing him the picture.

He took it, and as he looked at it, his face paled and became a face of horrified recognition.

"What's wrong? Did you know him?" His expression confused and troubled me.

"No, I didn't know him, but I have met him, once, _hmmm_. Not long before I met you, _hmmm_. He looked at me, still holding the picture with a look of horror.

"What do you mean?" The meaning of his words eluded me.

He let the picture flutter out of his hand, gripping my upper arms tightly, his face now frantic.

"Don't you understand, _hmmm_? I KILLED MICHIRU, _HMMM_!"

I regret to inform all my loyal readers that this is where my dream ended, so there will be no more chapters. Get over it and go away.

Okay, okay, I'm joking, but not about the end of the dream part. I have already written the next chapter, but have yet to type it up. Chill already.


	13. Confession

"I...I killed him, _hmmm_," he repeated, letting go of me and sitting down on the bed, his face now blank.

I was frozen, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It was like finding out he was dead all over again.

"Emika-chan, please say something, _hmmm_." His eyes pleaded with me.

My mind snapped back into reality. Just like three days ago, I felt the need to run, to escape this terrible reality. Just like three days ago, I shouted my feelings.

"...no...NO!!" I turned on the spot, sprinting out of the room, Deidara calling after me to stop. I rushed out of the base, everything a blur.

I continued running all out, trees appearing as green streaks on either side of me, until I reached a familiar clearing. The burned, blackened tree from three days ago stood before me, seeming to taunt me. This spot was the beginning and the end of my quest to avenge Micchi, I thought bitterly.

My feelings finally caught up with me, tears tugging at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. I held them back, trying not to lose control, trying to keep my focus.

My focus: avenging Micchi. I banished my feelings for Deidara, resigned to killing him. How could have I allowed myself to fall for Micchi's killer?

It seemed obvious now, the puzzle complete, all the pieces matching up. The round patches of forest were caused by Deidara's bombs. Deidara coincidentally finding me after coming back from a mission the same time as Micchi's, as well as the same direction, was explained by the fact that Deidara WAS Micchi's mission. The mission that killed him.

I used the anger that was now bubbling up inside me to hold back my tears. The anger made my mind clear and alert, as long as I made sure to keep it in check. Keeping my focus, I walked over to the tree, leaning back against it as I stood, cloak gathering soot, waiting for Deidara. I was sure he would come, find me as he had found me before.

Sure enough, I heard his approach through the forest. I straightened, then leaned forward into a fighting stance, lighting my fists once more, though not strong enough to kill, not yet.

He entered the clearing at a run, stopping when he saw me. Giving him no time to react, I charged straight at him, shouting as I ran, throwing flaming punches in quick succession into his chest, face, wherever I could reach.

He did not last long under my onslaught, falling to the ground limp as a ragdoll, holes burned through his clothes and into his skin. I felt a twinge of regret, then quickly regained my focus.  


I did as I had done with my ribbon, this time using a large flame to form a firey, yet harmless, rope.

I flipped Deidara over roughly, using the rope to tie his hands behind his back. Flipping him back over, I slid my arms under his, dragging him over to my blackened tree, pulling him up so he was in a standing position, leaning against the tree. Making another rope, I tied him securely to the tree, the rope taut against his chest.

I stepped back a good distance, almost to the edge of the clearing, waiting for him to wake up. Eventually, he began to stir, wincing and groaning as he felt the effects of my attack.

As he opened his eyes, I glared at him, my eyes harder than steel with anger.

"Emika-chan, _hmmm_..." he said weakly, a hint of fear in his eyes as he saw my fury.

"Deidara, you should know that I'm going to kill you. You know why." I glared at him coldly.

"Yes, _hmmm_." He said this sadly, and I could now hear the fear in his voice.

"Good-bye." I relit my right hand, fatal strength this time.

"Good-bye, _hmmm_." He closed his eyes, sensing the end.

I leaned forward slightly, then charged, pulling my flaming fist back, prepared to aim for his heart. I reached him, plunging my fist toward his chest. Inches away...

It felt like hitting a brick wall. I had frozen, fist mere inches from Deidara, trembling slightly. What was I doing? Why would I kill this person, this person who...

My hand was shaking, and my eyes wide with the shock of what I had been about to do. I put my hand down slowly, still trembling.

Deidara opened his eyes, his face unreadable. He stared at me, watching me.

As he watched, I extinguished my flames, the ropes dissolving as I threw myself into Deidara.

The tears I had resisted earlier streamed out as I threw my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his chest.

"I can't...I can't!" I yelled, shaking with sobs.

"Emika-chan, _hmmm_..." he whispered, only inches from my ear.  


I regained a bit of composure, then pulled my head away and looked into his eyes with my own tear-filled ones.

"I love you!"


	14. The End?

"I love you!" I said again, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

I took my arms from around his neck, stepping back. I could not look at him; I looked down. I had confessed, and I waited for a reaction.

None came, so with renewed tears, I turned, lifting off the ground, about to soar away from this place. As I rose, Deidara reached out and grabbed my hand, and I turned in midair. He winced from the movement, collapsing sideways onto the ground, pulling me down with him, into a very awkward position.

I blushed deeply, trying to get off him, but he wrapped his left arm around my waist and pulled me into him. I leaned into his chest, heart racing. He wrapped his right hand in my hair at the back of my head, turning my face towards his. He smiled softly.

"I love you, _hmmm_."

My heart stopped. My tears flowed more strongly as he pulled my face into his, my eyes closing as he kissed me.

I felt a small twinge of guilt as his lips pressed against mine. My first kiss should have been with Micchi, yet here I was, in love with his killer, and happy. I silently apologized to Micchi one last time before wrapping my arms around Deidara's neck and kissing him back.

When we pulled away, I whispered, "I love you." I rested my head on his chest, my tears finally beginning to stop. I felt happy, happier than I had ever felt before. I sighed and closed my eyes, smiling very slightly. Deidara's arms tightened around me tenderly, holding me close.

"I'm sorry, _hmmm_." His breath ruffled my hair, his mouth mere inches away.

"nnn..." I shook my head, indicating that he was forgiven. I turned my face into his chest, feeling his warmth on my skin.

"I had no idea, _hmmm_..."

I picked up my head, facing him, and pressing a finger to his lips, silencing him. I removed my finger and leaned into him, kissing him gently.

I pulled away, smirking. He chuckled weakly, then winced again from the wounds I had given him.

My face must have showed my concern, because he attempted to reassure me.

"I'm fine, _hmmm_."  


I was skeptical, knowing what my power could do, but I reluctantly accepted his lie, resting against him once again.

"I'm sorry." I knew I had wounded him pretty badly, and I knew my weight must not help matters.

"Now **you're** apologizing unecessarily, _hmmm_."

"I might need a kiss to convince me to shut up about it..." I looked at him expectantly.

"I can arrange that, _hmmm_." He gave me another kiss, cupping my face with his hand. He smiled, his hand lingering on my cheek.

"I think I've loved you ever since you told me about Micchi, that day you almost got killed by Hidan, _hmmm_" He smiled, laughing a little at this memory.

I was silent, thinking about this. So when he said he was sure Micchi loved me back, was he really saying that **he** loved me?

When had I started loving Deidara? Was it that same day? The day I first noticed those feelings creeping up?

"I think it's the same for me, that's when I started loving you. I loved that you cared. About my feelings, what I had to say, my loss."

"Yes, I do care, I always did, when I saw you crying that first day, I had to, _hmmm_."

"Thank you." I felt like I would start crying again. He noticed my eyes welling up.

"Don't start with that again, _hmmm_! We can't have that, can we, _hmmm_?" He stroked my cheek gently.

I took a shuddering breath, calming down. I stared off into the distance, thinking.

"What about the other members? What do we tell everyone? They're sure to have heard me scream when I ran away."

"We tell them the truth, _hmmm_. And I'll ask Leader-sama if we can move your bed into my room, _hmmm_." He smirked suggestively.

I blushed, and he smirked more. He laughed.

"You always blush so much, _hmmm_!  


"Well, you always make me so nervous!" I blurted out.

He tilted his head, feigning surprise.

"Flamethrower-chan can get nervous, _hmmm_?" He grinned.

I scoffed at this.

"What kind of nickname is that?"

"It's yours, now, _hmmm_!"

"Fine, then you're... Dei-Dei-kun!" His face became pained.

"...Dei-Dei-kun, _hmmm_...?" He seemed to contemplate it with slight disgust.

"You're stuck with it now! Better learn to like it!"

"Okay, okay, you can call me that, Flamethrower-chan, _hmmm_..." He seemed defeated.

"DEI-DEI-KUN!!" I threw my arms around his neck again, both of us laughing.

"Holy Jashin, what the # are you two doing?" Hidan (obviously) asked.

I blushed, noticing our compromising position again. I scrambled to get up off of Deidara, brushing myself off to cover my embarassment. Deidara got up gingerly, wincing as he moved, and I moved to help him up.

"What the #& is going on here?" he seemed, in a word, pissed.

"What do you think was going on here, _hmmm_?" Deidara glanced sideways at me, smirking.

"Get a room, you two! I'm going tell Leader where you are!" He stomped off.

"Well, that was... interesting..." I stared after him, a bit confused.

"Apparently, everyone's looking for us, _hmmm_."

"Seems that way. Shall we go meet up with them?" I gestured in the direction Hidan had gone.

"Yes, _hmmm_." He took my hand in his and I tilted my head up to kiss him one more time before we left the clearing, leaving behind the tree, my old life, and, in a way, Micchi.


End file.
